Tip #226

Fort Collins Utilities is an equal opportunity residential and commercial utility service provider. We do not discriminate in the terms, conditions or provision of services based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status or national origin.

Options to "go solar" continue to expand in Fort Collins. Join us for an update on new and ongoing programs supporting local solar energy, including:

The Fort Collins Community Solar project, which is about to start construction and should begin operation this summer

The solar rebate program for residential and commercial projects that is continuing in 2015

A new program coordinated with Social Sustainability Services that offers support for income-qualified projects

"Net Zero" home developments, which are on the drawing board for Fort Collins.

We will have representatives available to provide an update on each of these programs. Come on out â€“ and don't forget your sunglasses!

Wildscaping: Beyond the Basics | RegisterApril 8, Prairie Sage Rooms 1 & 2
Get new design ideas and learn about the best plant selections to provide habitat for songbirds, pollinators and other wildlife with Lauren Springer Odgen and Susan Tweit.

Learn how to improve your yard's livability, diversity and beauty. Author and plant biologist Susan Tweit will share design ideas for creating habitat for songbirds, pollinators and other wildlife. Horticulturist, speaker and author Lauren Springer Ogden will showcase some of the best plants to attract and support wildlife that also add beauty to the garden. Find out how early-flowering and late-blooming plants provide food and shelter for birds and pollinators all year long.

Presenters Plant biologist and award-winning author Susan Tweit is passionate about restoring nature where we live, work and play as a way to make human ecosystems healthier and more vibrant. She helped found the Habitat Hero program, now a program of Audubon Rockies, and is the author of "The Rocky Mountain Garden Survival Guide." She lives on a formerly blighted industrial property in Salida, Colorado.

Lauren Springer Ogden designed Denver Botanic Gardens' WaterSmart Garden, Chatfield Arboretum's Visitor Center gardens and the 300-foot "hell strip" at the Gardens on Spring Creek. Her book "The Undaunted Garden" is back in print, and she is currently working on a half-acre Undaunted Garden at the Gardens on Spring Creek. Lauren's Fort Collins home garden and the Chatfield garden have been awarded Habitat Hero designations.

A Cooler Future: Easy Like Water | RegisterApril 15, Twinberry Auditorium
Watch Easy Like Water, a film about adapting to climate change in Bangladesh by building floating solar schools. Discuss potential projects, engagement strategies and policies for our community.

Join us for a screening of Easy Like Water, a film that documents the visionary work of architect Mohammed Rezwan, who is adapting to climate change by building floating solar schools. Rezwan is using innovative ideas to solve local community challenges. His simple solutions are addressing social issues such as emergency preparedness and social mobility. The film presents a perspective on climate justice.

Following the film, groups will discuss potential and current projects in our own community such as the FoCo Cafe, community supported agriculture business shares, Powerhouse projects and inexpensive ways to incorporate wind energy to power your home or business.

PresenterDr. Rosemarie Russo currently teaches Global Environmental Change and Sustainability for Business and Municipalities at University of Colorado Boulder and law courses for Colorado State University's Graduate School of Education. She serves as the Sustainability Coordinator for the City of Fort Collins. She was a professor, Environmental Chair and Dean for Athletics, Biological and Oceanography Division at Diablo Valley College in California. She also worked as an environmental law consultant on Superfund sites and taught abroad in Central America. She earned a bachelor's degree in Environmental Science from Rutgers University, an environmental law degree from Vermont Law School and a doctorate in Environmental Education. She is a certified comprehensive science teacher and a volunteer backcountry ski ranger at Cameron Pass. She published her first book, "Jumping from the Ivory Tower: Creating Sustainable Communities through Service-Learning," in 2009. Rosemarie was named the National Geographic's Sustainability Scholar for the Environmental Forum in Aspen.

Kenton Seth, owner of Paintbrush Gardens, will share techniques for creating landscapes that only need what falls from the sky. Learn about how to build and maintain the newest trend in landscaping, crevice rock gardening. Crevices are those intriguing gaps between rocks where plants can grow while seeming to defy all odds. Crevice gardens offer an opportunity to grow plants that are difficult or impossible to grow otherwise.

PresenterKenton Seth is a native of Grand Junction and a plant fanatic. He's worked with plants all his life in nurseries and public gardens. Kenton writes a blog, "I Need a Cup of Tea," and owns Paintbrush Gardens, which builds native, unwatered landscapes and rock gardens throughout Colorado.

Gardeners interested in organic growing techniques, reducing their household's greenhouse gas footprint and preventing trash from going to the landfill, will learn the "Art and Science of Composting" at this practical workshop. An informative and engaging instructor, Natalie Yoder from Colorado State University's Organic Agriculture program, teaches with a passion for getting others started in backyard composting.

Learning to compost your kitchen scraps and yard trimmings can be fun and rewarding. Once you learn the basics, you can get started producing a healthy soil supplement that your garden will love. Better soil means less watering, healthier plants and bountiful harvests, all while helping you reduce your waste stream. Plan to come away from the evening's presentation with lots of new insights about the best ingredients for making compost, how to choose the right bin for your needs and tips on troubleshooting potential problems.

Participants are encouraged to bring their composting questions and be prepared for some lively discussion during the interactive segment of the program.

The Year in the Life of a Dry Garden | RegisterMay 13, Twinberry Auditorium
Create your own beautiful year-round garden. Learn from the director of Plant Select® about a variety of adaptable and resilient plants that provide color, texture and architectural interest.

Learn how to create your own beautiful year-round garden using a variety of adaptable and resilient plants that provide color, texture and architectural interest. Plant Select executive director, Pat Hayward, will share the importance of soil conditioning and watering techniques, as well as some of the most stunning, low-water plant choices for our region.

PresenterPat Hayward is executive director of Plant Select, the country's leading source of plants designed to thrive in the high plains and intermountain regions. Plant Select is a collaboration of Colorado State University, Denver Botanic Gardens and professional horticulturists around the world. Pat has 35 years of professional horticultural experience in Colorado.

Your Home Energy Roadmap | RegisterMay 20, Prairie Sage Rooms 1 & 2
The Efficiency Works™ - Home program can map your route to a comfortable, safe and efficient home. Learn about the process, from the initial audit to the final rebate.

The Efficiency Works - Home program provides you with an energy advisor to help you start saving money and improve the comfort of your home. The process starts with a home audit, which identifies ways to conserve energy and water while adding comfort to your home. The $60 audit includes an inspection and tests by building science professionals using blower doors and infrared cameras to reveal improvement opportunities. You'll receive a report with prioritized recommendations, and your energy advisor can help you plan upgrades and select a participating contractor. Rebates are available for insulation and air sealing, furnaces, heat pumps, air conditioners, water heaters, whole-house fans and windows. You also can take advantage of convenient and simple on-bill financing to pay the upfront costs.

2015 Past Programs

Climate Protection: Every Action Counts | Download Slides (PDF 9.7MB)March 4, Prairie Sage Rooms 1 & 2 Fort Collins has been a leader in climate protection for almost two decades. Learn how the City of Fort Collins is continuing to address climate change and how you can help.

Fort Collins has been a leader in climate protection for almost two decades. Through innovation, leadership and local involvement, the community already has benefited from climate protection actions. City of Fort Collins Environmental Services Director, Lucinda Smith, will speak about where the City and community are on efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and how you can help. Caroline Michell, Paul Sizemore, Annie Freyschlag and additional speakers will present.

$5 Million and Change | Download Slides (PDF 2.7 MB)March 11, Prairie Sage Rooms 1 & 2
The City is competing in a nationwide energy efficiency challenge. Learn how to reduce energy use and share your ideas on how the community could use the $5 million prize.

The Fort Collins community has the opportunity to win a $5 million energy prize by participating in a two-year nationwide energy efficiency challenge. Fort Collins will lead the way to a bright future for energy use. The community has established bold goals and leadership in energy efficiency programs, and now we need to double our participation and encourage all community members to establish daily practices that use energy wisely. Help spread the word about this amazing opportunity and make energy efficiency personal and achievable for every member of our community. This session will outline how you can get involved to promote or actively work on this exciting opportunity. Share your ideas on ways we could use the $5 million prize in our community.

Presenters:Michelle Finchum, Public Engagement Coordinator, works on outreach campaigns to encourage public participation in Fort Collins Utilities programs.

Studies have shown that the majority of Americans spend up to 90 percent of their time indoors, and indoor air quality is generally up to five times worse than outdoor air. Household hazards, which can contribute to health risks, tend to be interrelated and often are easily remedied with low-cost or no-cost solutions. Many ordinary activities such as cooking, heating, cooling, cleaning and redecorating can cause the release and spread of indoor pollutants at home.

Learn about:

health implications and concerns of
poor indoor air quality in our homes and our communities

how to look at your home as a system that needs to be managed with environmentally sound suggestions

how you can impact our outdoor air quality with simple and achievable recommendations

Master Home Educators, trained by experts in the fields of ventilation, HVAC, mold and moisture, chemical contaminants, biological pollutants and safety, will share their expertise and experiences conducting home health assessments in our community.

PresentersMelissa Hovey is a Senior Environmental Planner in the City of Fort Collins Environmental Services Department and manages the City's air quality programs. Melissa has over 20 years of experience in the air quality field and has worked for federal and state agencies as well as in consulting. She has conducted air analyses and developed policy for managing air resources on public lands. She also has worked with oil and gas, mining, steel, pulp and paper and other industries in complying with Clean Air Act requirements. Melissa has a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Maine and a master's degree in Environmental Engineering from Colorado State University.

Mary Pat Aardrup has served as the program coordinator for the Healthy Sustainable Homes (HSH) program in the Environmental Services Department of the City of Fort Collins since 2011. From 1997 to 2009, she was the founder and executive director of the National Pain Foundation (NPF). Prior to the NPF, she raised the philanthropic funds for the Denver Aquarium and served as Development Director for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, planning and implementing the first $1 million bike tour in the United States. She has extensive experience in program management and development, fundraising and volunteer coordination. She attended Colorado State University and holds a degree in Social Work.

Selina Lujan first served as an intern for the HSH program in 2012, and since 2013, has served as the assistant program coordinator for the HSH program. She attended the University of Colorado at Boulder and holds a degree in Sociology. She has wide-ranging experience in program coordination, leadership programs and volunteer work with non-profit organizations. Selina currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Habitat for Humanity.